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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tales of the tapes

Seahawks DBs scan videos for pointers

Seattle defensive back Jordan Babineaux reaches for perfection.  (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
By Scott M. Johnson Everett Herald

Jordan Babineaux’s highlight DVD from the 2007 season includes his first career “Pick-6,” an interception return touchdown that helped his Seattle Seahawks beat the Washington Redskins in a playoff game.

But Babineaux has only watched that part of the video two or three times. When the Seahawks’ 25-year-old defensive back pops the video into his DVD player, he’s more concerned with the mistakes than he is the enjoyable memories.

“It’s the negative plays that really stand out to me,” Babineaux said. “In the secondary, you really try to be a perfectionist. You want to be a guy with little to no mistakes.”

Every returning member of the Seahawks’ secondary has a highlight video from the 2007 season, courtesy of defensive backs coach Jim Mora. Seattle’s assistant coach and head-coach-in-waiting uses the videos as a reminder of all that went right last season, as well as what could be improved.

The Seahawks’ veteran defensive backs, who represented one of the strengths of the team in 2007, tend to dwell on the negative more than the positive.

“I don’t think about the good ones at all,” said Deon Grant, the Seahawks’ starting strong safety. “I let all the other people hype over those. I’m always looking at the bad ones and trying to clean them up. I’ve got a strong mind, so I know it won’t shut me down.”

Mora, who is beginning his second season as a Seahawks assistant, has used highlight DVDs for most of his career.

“It’s one of the tools that you use in the off-season because, when you go back and look at the season, and you can’t look at every play,” Mora said. “It’s not like they’re an offensive guard, where every play they’re hitting somebody. So we just go back and look at the things that they need to work on and the things that they did well.

“Along with that, you try to show them other players in the league doing well. So it’s a good teaching tool.”

For Babineaux, the video served as a reminder that he needs to clean up his coverage in zone situations. There were times when he got caught out of position, and the video helps serve as a reminder.

Babineaux said he has watched the negative plays so many times that he’s unlikely to make the same mistakes again.

“I kind of look forward to seeing that situation again (on the field) so I can shut it down,” he said.

Grant, who played at a Pro Bowl level in 2007 despite not making the game, said he’s been working on finishing plays.

“Even if I’m deep in the middle, and it’s a run play that looks like it’s been stopped after five yards, I need to be coming up,” he said. “I need to be going to the ball every time because anything can happen.”

The DVDs also help accentuate players’ strengths. Free safety Brian Russell learned that he can be more aggressive in pass coverage this season without constantly worrying about giving up the big play.

“One of the things that we praised him for last year was taking away the deep ball and playing safe and not letting things get over the top,” Mora said.